Washington County, UT Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Zones covered
- R-2 and R-3 multiple-family
- Front yard
- 25 ft (15 ft with rear parking + porch)
- Side yard
- 10 ft (3 ft for set-back garages)
- Rear yard
- 10 ft
- Lot width/area
- 40 ft width, 8,000 sq ft minimum
- Corner lot side yard
- 25 ft on the street side
Summary
In Washington County's unincorporated R-2 and R-3 multiple-family zones, homes need a 40-foot lot width, a 25-foot front yard, and 10-foot side and rear yards. The front yard shrinks to 15 feet only if parking sits in the rear and the unit has a covered street-facing porch.
10-8F-6: AREA, WIDTH AND YARD REGULATIONS: Zone Area Minimum Width Front Side Rear. R-2 8,000 sq. ft. 40' 25' (15' if parking in rear and each unit has a front porch facing street) 10' 10'. R-3 8,000 sq. ft. 40' 25' (15' if parking in rear and each unit has a Front porch facing street) 10' 10'. Note: 1. Each R-2, R-3, or townhouse front porch shall be covered, outside the front setback, and a minimum size of 5 ft. x 10 ft.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-17: Code current through: Ord. 2026-1329-O, passed 8-18-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 10-8F-6, AREA, WIDTH AND YARD REGULATIONS, sets out a table for the county's MF Multiple-Family Residential Zones, R-2 and R-3: each requires a minimum lot area of 8,000 square feet, a 40-foot width, a 10-foot side yard, and a 10-foot rear yard. " The same chapter's modifying regulations in Section 10-8F-7 add more nuance: a street-side side yard must match the front-yard setback, private garages and accessory buildings set at least 10 feet behind the main dwelling can drop to a 3-foot side yard, corner lots must still hold 25 feet on the street side, and a zero-lot-line side yard is allowed for two-family lots in a planned subdivision as long as the opposite side yard absorbs the difference.
Where an adjacent property's front yard is already built at less than 25 feet, new construction may match that lesser line but never below 20 feet. G separately bars parking from sitting inside the front yard setback area at all, and Section 10-8F-4 caps building height at 35 feet for the main structure and 25 feet for accessory buildings in these zones.
Violations & Fines
Building inside a required setback, or parking in the front yard setback area under Section 10-8F-7.G, is a violation of Title 10 that the county building inspector enforces under Section 10-1-12; the county attorney can pursue abatement of the encroaching structure as a public nuisance under Section 10-1-11. A building permit application that does not meet the Section 10-8F-6 table gets denied by the building inspector under Section 10-1-10 unless it qualifies for one of the Section 10-8F-7 modifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the standard front setback in Washington County's R-2 zone?
Can I put a garage closer to my side property line in Washington County?
Can I park in my front yard in Washington County's R-2/R-3 zones?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
Compare Washington County to another location·View the Utah building setbacks & zoning overview
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